A watercraft fitted with an outboard motor is typically steered by pivoting the outboard motor mounted on a transom provided in a rear end of the watercraft about a vertical pivot axis. In case of small and medium-sized watercraft, it can be effected remotely by using a steering wheel provided in the cabin, but it is more common to use a steering handle bar (typically called as tiller handle) extending forwardly directly from the outboard motor. A tiller handle is placed at a substantially horizontal position (operating position) during normal operation of the watercraft, and can be held in a more vertically raised position (retracted position) when the outboard motor is tilted up because the watercraft is in shallow waters or moored.
It is known to make the height of a tiller handle adjustable during normal operation so as to accommodate different postures and builds of the users. The height of a tiller handle can be made adjustable by passing a pin through a part of the tiller handle and a selected one of a plurality of holes provided at different heights of a support bracket or by turning a vertical adjust screw abutting an upper surface of an end of the tiller handle on the other side of the pivot pin as seen from the user as disclosed in Japanese UM publication S62-192997.
The previously proposed height adjusting mechanisms for tiller handles have some problems in appearance and space requirements. The arrangement using a pin for adjustment is not favorable in appearance because the head and tip of the pin protrude sideways from the support bracket. Also, some lateral space is required for placing the pin into and out of the support bracket. The arrangement using an adjust screw is also unfavorable in appearance because the head of the adjust screw and a lock nut for the adjust screw protrude in the vertical direction. Also, some vertical space is required for turning the adjust screw and fastening the lock nut by using a socket wrench, and a measure must be taken so as to avoid interference with the engine cover.
As the height of a tiller handle is not required to be adjusted very often, the adjusting mechanism is desired to be concealed during normal operation of the tiller handle for a favorable appearance and to be compact enough not to cause any interference with other parts of the outboard motor. It is also desirable that the adjusting mechanism is readily accessible when an adjustment is required.